Peters and Stabenow Applaud $14.4 Million for Flint Lead Registry

U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow today announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded Michigan State University (MSU) with $14.4 million over four years to establish a Flint Lead Registry to monitor the health outcomes of children and adults exposed to lead and provide long-term treatment to mitigate the effects of lead exposure. This funding was included in the Flint agreement that Senators Peters and Stabenow and Congressman Kildee passed to provide long-awaited federal assistance for Flint and other communities affected by lead.

“Lead exposure can have serious and long-term consequences for Flint families, but with wrap-around health and community support services, we can mitigate these negative outcomes and ensure the City of Flint comes back even stronger than before,” said Senator Peters. “I was proud to help pass these funds through Congress last year, and I’m pleased the City of Flint and MSU will be able to continue their efforts to better understand the impact of lead exposure and help ensure a brighter future for Flint families.”

“This important funding that we secured in last year’s Flint agreement will help health providers monitor the health of children and adults who were exposed to lead in Flint,” said Senator Stabenow. “The lead registry Michigan State University will create with this money represents our long term commitment to the residents of Flint, who have endured so much during the water crisis.”

MSU will use the funding in partnership with the City of Flint leadership and other community organizations and stakeholders to address health concerns related to lead exposures, recruit and collect lead exposure information, monitor health outcomes among registrants, and expand efforts to reduce and eliminate lead in the community. The registry will be part of the Pediatric Public Health Initiative, formed jointly by MSU and Hurley Children’s Hospital, to comprehensively address Flint’s lead exposure. The registry will also track future significant lead exposure situations across the country and serve as national center of excellence for mitigating the impacts of lead exposure.

The Flint agreement authored by Peters, Stabenow and Congressman Dan Kildee was signed into law in 2016. This agreement provided $30 million to two different federal programs that fund efforts to address the short and long-term effects of lead poisoning, particularly to pregnant women and new mothers. This funding also provides resources to educate the public on the dangers of lead exposure and helps states identify and address environmental health and public safety issues associated with lead.  The Flint agreement also provided $100 million in funding to help fix Flint’s drinking water infrastructure.